1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:02,520 Speaker 1: Joining us live on the line right now is the 2 00:00:02,600 --> 00:00:05,320 Speaker 1: secretary of the United Workers Union, Erina Early. 3 00:00:05,360 --> 00:00:08,600 Speaker 2: Good morning to you, Erina, morning, Katie, how are you? 4 00:00:08,840 --> 00:00:11,239 Speaker 1: Yeah, very well. I apologize that we're running a bit 5 00:00:11,360 --> 00:00:13,680 Speaker 1: late this morning. We're trying to get some further detail 6 00:00:13,720 --> 00:00:17,840 Speaker 1: about the separation of police and fieries with the newly 7 00:00:17,920 --> 00:00:19,720 Speaker 1: minted minister Brent Potter. 8 00:00:20,360 --> 00:00:20,640 Speaker 2: Erinor. 9 00:00:20,680 --> 00:00:22,480 Speaker 1: It sounds like there is still a bit of work 10 00:00:22,520 --> 00:00:26,680 Speaker 1: to do here, legislation, the budget, the appointment of a commissioner. 11 00:00:26,720 --> 00:00:30,040 Speaker 1: But from your perspective, good news it is. 12 00:00:30,160 --> 00:00:32,440 Speaker 2: There is a lot of work still to be done, Katie, 13 00:00:32,479 --> 00:00:35,000 Speaker 2: a lot of questions to be answered, but it is 14 00:00:35,159 --> 00:00:37,400 Speaker 2: really good news for our anti firefighter. 15 00:00:37,600 --> 00:00:40,000 Speaker 1: Why is it such good news and why do you 16 00:00:40,040 --> 00:00:42,519 Speaker 1: reckon this is a move in the right direction. 17 00:00:43,840 --> 00:00:46,600 Speaker 2: Well, the reason is so just give you some background. 18 00:00:46,760 --> 00:00:50,080 Speaker 2: So the union member has been lobbing for this separation 19 00:00:50,200 --> 00:00:54,160 Speaker 2: for fifteen years. But prior to that, in two thousand 20 00:00:54,200 --> 00:00:58,080 Speaker 2: and four, a medical review was conducted and that's one 21 00:00:58,120 --> 00:01:00,840 Speaker 2: of the big reviews that would run into the fire 22 00:01:00,880 --> 00:01:03,680 Speaker 2: service then, and it was actually recommended to split from 23 00:01:03,720 --> 00:01:07,000 Speaker 2: police because there was no autonomy of the budget for 24 00:01:07,040 --> 00:01:10,160 Speaker 2: the fire service. And they had no direct reporting mechanisms 25 00:01:10,160 --> 00:01:13,640 Speaker 2: to the minister. So it's taken us nineteen years to 26 00:01:13,680 --> 00:01:18,280 Speaker 2: finally get this recommended recommendation implemented. 27 00:01:18,920 --> 00:01:25,040 Speaker 1: How exactly do you think it's going to work. 28 00:01:24,200 --> 00:01:26,760 Speaker 2: Well, it is going to be. It will be interesting 29 00:01:26,880 --> 00:01:31,240 Speaker 2: because it's completely new structure. So we are hoping that 30 00:01:31,520 --> 00:01:34,640 Speaker 2: we're going to get a new commissioner who then will 31 00:01:34,640 --> 00:01:37,199 Speaker 2: then be having that direct reporting to the minister. We'll 32 00:01:37,200 --> 00:01:40,080 Speaker 2: have our own fire service, will have their own budget. 33 00:01:40,480 --> 00:01:43,559 Speaker 2: They can say what their budget is used for because 34 00:01:43,600 --> 00:01:46,959 Speaker 2: at the moment the police Police Commissioner makes the decision 35 00:01:47,319 --> 00:01:50,560 Speaker 2: what the firefighter budget is used for. And we can 36 00:01:50,680 --> 00:01:55,200 Speaker 2: ensure that we're actually having the legislative operational requirements in 37 00:01:55,280 --> 00:01:58,160 Speaker 2: this budget because at the moment they're actually not budgets 38 00:01:58,200 --> 00:01:59,160 Speaker 2: for now. 39 00:01:59,200 --> 00:02:01,640 Speaker 1: We know Brent Potter just said a short time ago 40 00:02:01,960 --> 00:02:04,960 Speaker 1: that you know that because there is that legislative change 41 00:02:04,960 --> 00:02:06,960 Speaker 1: and there's a few things to get through that he's 42 00:02:07,000 --> 00:02:09,400 Speaker 1: not anticipating it's going to happen before the end of 43 00:02:09,440 --> 00:02:12,000 Speaker 1: the year. When do you hope that this happens by. 44 00:02:13,720 --> 00:02:15,959 Speaker 2: Well, look, I do agree there with the minister. There's 45 00:02:15,960 --> 00:02:17,800 Speaker 2: a lot of things to consider because they do have 46 00:02:17,840 --> 00:02:20,400 Speaker 2: to change their gistation, they do have to recruit a 47 00:02:20,400 --> 00:02:24,079 Speaker 2: new commissioner. I'm hoping it's done by early in the year. 48 00:02:24,600 --> 00:02:26,320 Speaker 1: And do you reckon that there's going to be a 49 00:02:26,400 --> 00:02:30,679 Speaker 1: need for you know, for additional HR or additional support 50 00:02:30,800 --> 00:02:33,440 Speaker 1: staff given the fact that if you are, if they 51 00:02:33,480 --> 00:02:36,760 Speaker 1: are a standalone agency, you know, ordinarily you would have 52 00:02:36,840 --> 00:02:37,840 Speaker 1: those types of things. 53 00:02:39,400 --> 00:02:41,680 Speaker 2: Yeah, O, Katie, Well, that's actually a good question because 54 00:02:41,680 --> 00:02:43,639 Speaker 2: this are these questions that we're want to ask to 55 00:02:43,880 --> 00:02:46,440 Speaker 2: what's going to happen with the support people. Is there 56 00:02:46,480 --> 00:02:49,000 Speaker 2: going to be increased, are people going to move over? 57 00:02:49,639 --> 00:02:52,639 Speaker 2: What about the shared training they have with POLIEF because 58 00:02:52,680 --> 00:02:57,560 Speaker 2: the current Buyer Training center is based at the PMC. 59 00:02:58,639 --> 00:03:00,720 Speaker 2: Where all this going to go? And what's going to 60 00:03:00,760 --> 00:03:03,440 Speaker 2: be provided to the fire service now? So, yeah, there's 61 00:03:03,480 --> 00:03:05,320 Speaker 2: so many questions at the moment, and. 62 00:03:05,400 --> 00:03:07,680 Speaker 1: Arn I guess the question a lot of Territorians will 63 00:03:07,720 --> 00:03:10,120 Speaker 1: be asking is how much is it going to cost 64 00:03:10,160 --> 00:03:10,880 Speaker 1: when we're broke? 65 00:03:13,320 --> 00:03:15,160 Speaker 2: Well, the thing is at the moment we've got a 66 00:03:15,200 --> 00:03:18,560 Speaker 2: fire service that's broken as well, Katie, we actually need 67 00:03:18,639 --> 00:03:21,840 Speaker 2: to get new appliances. We need to attract the best 68 00:03:21,919 --> 00:03:25,640 Speaker 2: firefighters here, we need to put money into the fire service. 69 00:03:25,720 --> 00:03:28,960 Speaker 2: They have not been properly funded for over thirty years. 70 00:03:29,120 --> 00:03:33,160 Speaker 2: It's their time actually now for a new era fire service, 71 00:03:33,200 --> 00:03:35,680 Speaker 2: which is going to provide a better service to territory 72 00:03:35,720 --> 00:03:36,320 Speaker 2: in Erina. 73 00:03:36,400 --> 00:03:39,000 Speaker 1: Do you reckon that we'll see a situation where bushfires 74 00:03:39,120 --> 00:03:42,440 Speaker 1: is combined bushfires NT ends up combined with the fire 75 00:03:42,480 --> 00:03:44,880 Speaker 1: service as well, you know, to sort of juggle that 76 00:03:44,960 --> 00:03:46,600 Speaker 1: funding and that kind of thing. 77 00:03:47,840 --> 00:03:49,680 Speaker 2: It could be something. I don't think it's on the 78 00:03:49,720 --> 00:03:53,640 Speaker 2: table yet, Katie, but that's that's a bit above above 79 00:03:53,720 --> 00:03:55,760 Speaker 2: me at the moment, but it could be something they 80 00:03:55,800 --> 00:03:57,320 Speaker 2: may consider in the near future. 81 00:03:57,960 --> 00:04:00,200 Speaker 1: Well, Erina Early, it is always good to catch up 82 00:04:00,200 --> 00:04:01,720 Speaker 1: with you. I'm sorry that we were running a little 83 00:04:01,720 --> 00:04:03,800 Speaker 1: bit late, but I really appreciate you having a chat 84 00:04:03,800 --> 00:04:04,560 Speaker 1: with me this morning. 85 00:04:05,920 --> 00:04:07,440 Speaker 2: Katie. Have a lovely day you too. 86 00:04:07,600 --> 00:04:08,280 Speaker 1: Thank you.